The founder of Samsung dies after spending 6 years in hospital
The South Korean "Samsung" Group announced that Lee Kun-hee, who founded the leading company in the field of electronics, died today after spending more than six years in hospital following a heart attack.
The group reported that, Lee died with his family at his side, and the company's vice president, Jai Wai Lee, was present.
The Presidential Office in South Korea said President Moon Jae-in intends to send flowers to Lee's funeral.
Lee, 78, the captain of the family-oriented company and the nation's richest man, took charge of its development into South Korea's largest enterprise.
But he was also convicted of bribery and tax evasion, and he and the empire he built were subjected to defamation due to their enormous economic influence, opaque management and dubious transfers of his family's wealth.
Samsung said in a statement: "President Lee had a true vision and transformed (Samsung) from a local company into a global leader in innovation and an industrial powerhouse. His announcement in 1993 of the new management was the catalyst for the company's vision to provide the best technologies to help advance the global community." .
The death of Lee, who is worth $ 20.9 billion, according to Forbes, is expected to prompt investor interest in a possible restructuring of the group that includes his stakes in major Samsung companies such as Samsung Life Insurance and Samsung Electronics.
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